Toy Story
By Auburn Cecil

     We all remember both the joys and disappointments of Christmas. Presents under the tree, a wonderful family dinner or a time when hopes were dashed can stay with us forever. That’s why all the volunteers at Lake Christian Ministries work even harder to meet needs during this season. As one of their biggest events of the year, Toy Story is a story of miracles—the miracle of a community working together to give.
     The idea behind Toy Story is to provide area children with a couple of gifts along with warm clothing, underwear and other necessities. Even in the first year when the program was just funded by one small local church, Toy Story gave 51 children a better Christmas. The next year it was 135 children, by 1999 it had reached 250 and this year almost 300 children will wake up on Christmas morning with gifts because of the generosity of the people of Smith Mountain Lake. If you think all the shopping and toys commercializes Christmas and the program, you only have to see the appreciation on the faces of the children–and their parents–to understand it’s not like that at all. "We do this because we believe Christmas is for all God’s children, rich or poor ," commented Lynda Imirie, the program coordinator. And any staff member knows "Sometimes Barney or Winnie-the-Pooh is just as important as a sweater and underwear."
     With more than 50 volunteers–shopping, sorting, bagging and tagging–and a budget that reached $14,000 last year, Toy Story is a large endeavor. Each year it seems that no matter how many kids are in need, the community steps up to provide enough money and toys. From churches to civic organizations, and from individuals to local businesses, the people of Smith Mountain Lake are really making a difference in their community. Distribution is always the week before Christmas. To find out more about the program or to help, call (540) 297-3214 or visit Lake Christian Ministries between 9:30 a.m. and noon on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.